A Thief's Promise
by cole1
Summary: Yes, the objective behind the quest is finally revealed...who are Buck and Chris looking for....Please R&R...Thanks!
1. Authors Notes

Disclaimer: As everyone knows the Mag 7 is sadly not ours, because if they were we would have never canceled them in the first place right? Just a short note to the hungry lawyers: I am a poor student who will never be rich, so I think it would be better if you just went after the bigger fish in the sea. In the short run the boys are not mine and never will be and I make no profit gain off of this besides my reader's enjoyment and the muse who has been torturing me will finally let me rest.  
  
Author's note: Hi all, I am brand new to this writing thing, so please play nice. I appreciate feedback but please don't pour over my story looking for mistakes because it will in short be a huge waste of your time! I know I have punctuation mistakes, if this really bugs you then by all means email me about it. I do however, like the helpful feedback so if you feel compelled please drop me a note at cole112@animail.net Ok, I think that was politically correct enough.:) I would like to state right now and here that I have no clue what I am talking about and am just getting a story off of my chest. Keep in mind that this is an AU entirely of my own imagination. This is an open AU after I finish this story, so please have fun and keep popping out the stories! One of the main reasons I wrote this story was the lack of Fanfic out there at the moment. Please do not post my stories or steal my stories, it's very rude and it goes against the play nice rule. :)  
  
Thanks: I know I really need to stop gabbing and get along with the story but I feel that a few thanks are in order. First to Tipper who inspired me with the Four Kingdoms story series thanks and I am still hoping for another one!!! I also kind of borrowed an idea of yours about Ezra but other then that this story really doesn't resemble yours. Twyla Jane, thanks for all your awesome stories, they keep me entertained and also inspire me. Not to mention Angela B., Brigitta, and Ruby whose stories I can't even describe in words. To the countless Fanfic writers out there whose names and stories I am forever mixing up, thank you for all your stories which were awesome. 


	2. The innkeeper

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The moonlight reflected off the burnished tin roofs of the shanty town creating an eerie shine to the desert and the hill surrounding the town illuminating the two riders that sat astride their horses observing the slumbering town. They were wrapped in dark clothing and they had small bundles on the back of their horses. No sound was present except for the huffing of their horses in the cold desert air. To a normal person they might appear as two of Lucifer's avenging dark angels set to steal souls in the darkness. If Mr. Gout, the owner of the town's only store had been awake he would have said that they were traveling visitors from a village nearby because they traveled light and obviously weren't too bright, what with the traveling at night and all. If old man Tom Girdle the town drunk had been awake he probably would have looked at their horses a little closer and seen the signs of a horse having been ridden fast and hard, then he would have looked at their clothing and seen it was of finer cloth then what villagers normally wore. Then Old Man Girdle would have bought himself another bottle and found a hiding place to drown his sorrows. But neither of them was awake, one fast asleep in his feather bed by his round, plump wife and the other passed out in a garbage heap at the back of the bar. So it was that no one saw the two dark figures enter the town and many would never know they had been there tomorrow.  
  
The town was appropriately named a shanty town for a reason, its buildings were old and decrepitated, many looked hastily erected and many looked past the fixing stage. The streets were dark, the street lamps long ago having been either broken or stolen. The cobblestones had shared the same fate leaving the road muddy and in need of repair. The two men rode past the shuttered buildings until they got to the only inn in town where a single candle burning in the window indicated that the Ducly inn was indeed alive and not dead like so many other buildings. With a pain grown from sitting too many hours in the saddle the first rider stepped down from his horse and walk stiff legged up to the Inn's door. With an anger borne of muddy roads, and too few hours without a drink he pounded upon the door with a gloved fist.  
  
"We ain't open." A frightened voice echoed from inside.  
  
"I don't care if you're not open! I'm hungry, I'm dirty, and by all the gods above I want a bed!" The man in black growled.  
  
"You got any money?" the squeaky voice asked tentatively.  
  
"Yeah, I got quid." The man said wearily holding up a small leather bag and shaking it so that the coins inside could be clearly heard.  
  
"It will be six quid up front and two more if you want clean linens." The voice shouted back with a quiver of excitement in it.  
  
The man in the back who was holding the horses and glancing wearily around the town for hidden dangers choked and spluttered at the outrageous price but quickly shut his mouth after a glare from the man in black. Suddenly the sound of many bolts being undone could be heard from the other side and with a loud creak the door was opened to display the innkeeper holding a dripping wax candle in his hand. The man was not the best looking of innkeepers, his hair hung in greasy, gray clumps around his head and his face sported a crooked nose. His skin was unwashed, red, and cracking, and when he offered the two men a smile he revealed a mouthful of black and rotting teeth. The two men exchanged meaningful glances, but both knew this was the only inn in town so with twin sighs they stepped through the doors leaving their horses tied up to the rotting post outside.  
  
"Your money, good gentlemen?" The innkeeper stated holding out a dirty, tobacco stained hand.  
  
"Six quid for a room, two quid for clean linen, and I'll throw in three more if you have a boy take care of our mounts, and fire up your kitchen and give us a decent meal." The man in black stated carefully laying the eleven quid in the innkeeper's outstretched dirty hand.  
  
"Aye, Mister, right away." The innkeeper said squabbling to catch all of the coins and bow at the same time.  
  
With that he hurried over to a stained and scratched door and pounded on it shouting at the cook within to wake her lazy self up. He then hobbled over to the fire dying at the end of the common room in which they had entered and stirred at the dying ashes with a stick and added a piece of what looked like might once have been a chair leg to the fire pit. Almost immediately the men at the door could feel a bit of heat in the air and their cold muscles started to cramp in protest. When the innkeeper was done stroking the fire he shuffled over to a previously not noticed pile of dirty straw in the corner farthest away from the fire. Once there he nudged the pile and when he received no response he gave it a vicious kick. This resulted in a dirty, dark haired teenager emerging from the pile with a sharp yelp and rubbing his side where the kick had obviously landed. The taller of the two strangers, the one who had previously been holding the horses gave a low feral growl in his throat and the sound of a knife being drawn filled the air.  
  
"It's not nice to kick children, the last man that did that in front of me lost his leg." He growled while moving forward. The shorter of the two strangers threw an arm up blocking his path.  
  
"I think our innkeeper friend has learned his lesson, don't you think Buck?" He stated calmly while removing his hood and fixing the innkeeper with a deadly glare.  
  
"I.I'm, I'm sorry, won't happen again, mistake, yes, big mistake." the innkeeper stuttered out in fear.  
  
"It better not because if it does you and my sword will be close friends, if you know what I mean." Buck stated fiercely  
  
The teen looked on from the corner with wide eyes and he flinched when Buck looked his way.  
  
"It's all right lad, I don't think the old man will be kicking you for some while, tell you what outside are two lugs that like to call themselves horses. You bring them in, unsaddle them, and feed them, and I think I have a silver sickle around here somewhere that has your name on it."  
  
"Aye, sir, right away." He stated grinning and pushing his too long bangs off of his forehead. He then practically ran outside where Buck could hear him quietly murmuring to the horses.  
  
"Innkeeper, how about that food you promised us?" The shorter of the two men asked, startling the innkeeper out of the trance he seemed to have gone into.  
  
"What? Oh, right the food, right, right away." With that said he squabbled away to the kitchen where they could hear him banging on pots, shouting insults, and generally just getting in the cooks way. 


	3. A Debt Repaid

Meanwhile back in the common room the men had taken the table closest to the fire and had draped their clocks across the back of the chairs. They sat conversing in low tones until the innkeeper brought out two steaming bowls of soup. Both men looked at the soup and called for ale, and then with a grimace they started the soup which surprisingly wasn't as bad as it looked. The innkeeper sat in the corner rubbing his hands and greedily counting the money he had earned and if his plan went right, would earn very shortly. "No one crossed Mulster Ducly and got away with it, no sirrie, no one."  
The two men's conversation was cut short and the innkeeper let out a little shriek when the door opened with a bang and all that could be seen was a shadowed figure standing in the doorway. Then the figure moved into the flickering light and all three men let out the breaths they had been holding, it was just the boy forgotten in the lure of a hot meal. The two men at the table took their hands off their sword's pommels and rested their arms on the table again. "Mister, ye horses are all taken care of, bedded down for the night and feed with the best we have to offer em'."  
  
"Thank you lad, here's the sickle I promised you." The taller man said.  
  
"No, thank you Master Buck." The boy said with a bow  
  
"Whoa, boy.first of all I'm not a master, and second where did you learn me name?" he said with a serious look upon his face.  
  
"Begging your pardon master, I mean Buck but the other fellow he called you Buck before when, well you know." The boy said sheepishly  
  
"That he did, that he did," the man said with a grin "Tell me boy, what's your name and how did a smart lad like you end up in a dump like this?"  
  
"My name is JD, sir and my mama; well she used to be a chambermaid here back when Mulster's father earned the inn. She used to talk about the good old days..but I'm getting off the subject. Anyways nigh two yrs ago this harvest she got sick suddenly and seeing that we have no doctor, well she faded fast sir." JD finished while wiping a tear away from his eye.  
  
"I'm sorry for your loss son; she sounds as though she was a special woman." Buck intoned  
  
"Err, that's enough of that gossiping!" Mulster sprang in suddenly "Take these two fellows up and show them their room boy. I'm expecting visitors later on and I want to be able to clean up a little."  
  
JD turned pale, but he slowly nodded and said "Yes, Master Ducly, right away."  
  
Turning to the two men who were already on their feet he led them up a pair of rickety, rotting stairs and down a long, narrow hallway to a room at the end of the hallway. Opening the door he let them in and then retraced his steps to the beginning of the hall where he opened the linen closet. He shook the sheets briskly to scatter the dust that had settled upon them and then walked down and knocked on the now closed door. The door opened to admit the taller of the two men, the one who had stood up for him, JD thought his heart filling with shame at what he knew would happen to these two men.  
The man took the sheets from him, and thanked him and then withdrew further into the room, leaving the door wide open. JD took this time to look at them men and think. The taller of the two men had dark, brown wavy hair and a bushy mustache on his face. He was tall, at least taller then any man JD had ever seen before and he was almost intimidating until he smiled at you. He had a full grin, with white, shiny teeth, a rare sight in this town where no dentist earned his living. But it was his eyes that captured JD's attention, a dark brown that seemed to twinkle with life except when he was angry of course. The shorter man seemed to be the exact opposite of this filled with life man and JD found himself wondering why the two were traveling together. No smile graced this man's face and his eyes resembled two dark green coals. No warmth graced them and the thought of having that icy glare directed at him made JD shiver. His blond hair was clipped so that it clung to his head and enhanced his menacing face. It seemed to only enforce that this was not a man to be messed with if you valued your life. And yet his face was weary and behind that icy composure seemed enormous loss. As if you had lived a dream and then woken up with the horror that everything you loved was gone and you were left floundering in a sea of loneliness and bitterness.  
  
Shaking his head from his musing he studied their weapons and clothing with a renewed interest. They wore plain traveling cloaks made of what to them was normal material. But to JD they had to be rich because he had never in his life seen such cloth. Not to mention the silver he had seen on their horses close up. Both carried long broadswords and several daggers could be seen tucked into belts and boots. They looked and walked like fighting men, but would it be enough? Could these men fight off thirty other men with clubs? Suddenly a loud voice shook JD from his thoughts.  
  
"Hey Kid, ye gotta be cold standing out in that drafty hallway, come here and I'll se if I can dig up one of me old clocks for ye to wear." Buck boomed cheerfully. He had been watching the boy out of the corner of his eye and knew that something was up by the way the boy was examining them so closely.  
  
For JD this was the final kicker, in all his nineteen years no one besides his mother had ever cared enough to give a damn whether he was hungry, or tired, or cold. From the moment he was born he was forced to fight for everything, and after his mother died it had only gotten worse. This small act of kindness made JD's choice for him.  
  
"Sir, I mean Buck.if I may have a word with you?" He asked in a rush  
  
"Whoa, slow down kid, here come inside and tell me what's eating you." And with that said he hurried the boy in and sat him down on the only chair available in the room.  
  
Now another boy in JD's case might have been scared what with being in a cramped room with two men both bigger then him and one who looked like he had eaten something sour for breakfast. And another boy might have tried to show them he was a tough lad by standing up and speaking to them directly. But JD was neither of these so he sat in the chair and hurriedly related his tale to the two men. Now any other men then these two might have packed up and ran after hearing that Ducly also dabbled in the slave market on the side; and that sometime tonight the two would be dragged from their beds by thirty men, put in chains and put on a boat to places unknown to the boy. Places that had names like rock island and Beelzebub's caves. Places the two men had heard of in dark, smoky taverns whispered by old pirates, places they thought were just the old pirate's age and imagination finally catching up to them. But these two men weren't just any regular two men, so after sharing their last flask of ale between the two of them they sat down to discuss what they would do.  
  
"I ain't ever been one to run from a fight" Buck started off "Hell, neither have you. But you gotta remember we got things to do, people to see, places to go, women to bed." He said with a grin.  
  
"I mean, the odds aren't looking good here.thirty to two?" He said to the still silent man  
  
"Three!" JD broke in and exclaimed, which only earned him a dirty look from Buck  
  
"Seriously Chris, you aren't honestly thinking.." Buck trailed off when Chris turned to face him with a determined look on his face.  
  
"Buck, I am Sir Christo of Lunder, a Knight of the Order of King Orin, I bow to none but my King and I do not run from fights and you had best remember that!" He said his green eyes blazing with a renewed light.  
  
"Hellfire and brimstone!" Buck roared "well, kid you better go get your kitchen knives sharpened, because I smell trouble and I hate trouble!" With a smile on his face he turned his back to Chris and began rummaging through his bags pulling out more knives and finally a crossbow while thinking to himself : "You old war dog, if it takes a outnumbered fight to put some spirit back in ya, well then by all the Gods above bring it on!"  
  
He started handing the weapons out and then with a grin and a sparkle in his eyes he turned to Chris and asked  
  
"So what's the plan here?" 


	4. So it begins

With a grim look on his face Chris turned around and clasped hands with Buck and shared a long serious look with him.  
  
"Alright, this is what we are going to do." With that said he started scribbling on a piece of parchment he had grabbed from his pack.  
  
Three hours later a coded tapping at the door brought Buck's head up sharply from the mattress where he had been dozing lightly.  
  
"Is it..?" He asked Chris who was wide awake and sitting by the door listening to the tapping.  
  
"Sssh!" Chris hissed and then proceeded back to listening to the tapping. Finally three long knocks and a short tap later Chris got up and let in a shaken JD.  
  
"Well boy?" He questioned  
  
"It's all d..d..done Sir Christo. Not a saddle in Eagle pass left uncut, well except for ours of course." JD stuttered over his words his teeth chattering loudly.  
  
"Good job lad, now get in here and warm your bones up. You're half frozen, what did you do fall in a lake or something"  
  
"No sir, had to hide in a horse trough on the way back to avoid one of the slavers." JD answered from the fireplace where he was desperately rubbing his hands together in an effort to gain back some of his lost warmth.  
  
"Don't call me sir, kid." Chris said but it was said warmly and his voice held a touch of respect for the kid.  
  
"Awwww, you're rubbing off on him kid!" Buck said giving JD's head an affectionate rub.  
  
"Go suck a cow Buck!" Chris said fiercely but a hint of a smile pulled at his lip. "Everyone get some rest while you can, in a few hours you'll be wishing you were babes on your mother's laps, I'll keep watch."  
  
With that he turned his back to the men and settled on a strategic position near the door. The other two men settled on the bed and chair but sleep eluded them and thoughts of the future plagued them both.  
  
Sometime around three in the morning a scratching at the door brought all three of the men's heads up from their thoughts. JD gulped nervously and tightened his grip on his borrowed weapon. He had fought Buck and Chris tooth and nail to be here but now that it was about to happen he wasn't so sure. He really didn't want to die, at least not in the inn he had born and raised in. Worriedly he glanced at the bulking form of Buck who was leaning against the wall completely at ease. Buck glanced over and gave the kid a reassuring, roguish smile. JD half-hardly gave him a smile back but he felt better.  
  
"Damn Kid shouldn't be here, too young for this sort of stuff! Hell, he'll be lucky if he can swing that knife I gave him. He looks like he's going to wet his pants. Damn Kid!" Buck thought to himself and then smiled at the boy in an attempt to calm him.  
  
Chris watched the two with amusement "Looks like Buck found himself another tagalong" He thought to himself and then his thoughts turned dark as he remembered the last tagalong Buck had and he turned his thoughts back to concentrating on the door. There was a muffled curse and the door creaked onimensly.  
  
"So it starts." Chris whispered with a gleam in his eyes and then the door opened with a bang.  
  
Do you like? Suggestions are welcome. I hope you enjoyed this. 


	5. The fight

The door opened with a bang and five men with dingy swords poured into the room. Because of the size of the doorway only two men at a time could enter at a time, which was great because Chris's plan counted on this. It also counted on the men being surprised at seeing them awake, and they were, so the first five were taken out easily. However, the next five were not so easily killed and they swept into the room like a tidal wave jumping over the bodies of their dead companions. A red haired man and his short companion engaged Buck, while a man with a mouthful of rotting teeth and a man with a patch over one eye battled Chris. This left a man with greasy hair for JD, the same JD who had emptied his stomach at the first site of blood and then bravely picked up his borrowed weapon and faced the charge. Chris easily dispatched rotting teeth to the Netherlands of the underworld but one eye was proving to better then he had estimated, this shown by the scratch on his shoulder. Of course he had done better he thought proudly eyeing his opponent who was covered with blood from the numerous scratches Chris had scored on his body.  
  
As for Buck, well like always Buck had turned the situation to his advantage and made it humorous at the same time. Having dealt with the carrot top he was currently giving swordsmanship lessons to his short companion.  
  
"No man, what did I tell ya before! It's the double swoop and then the parry." Buck chortled  
  
The man fighting Chris was distracted by this and was startled to feel a twinge of pain and to look down and see two feet of Chris's sword protruding from his gut. Idly he wondered for a moment how that got there and then had a fleeting thought about whether or not the sword was made of real silver before he looked up at Chris with a shocked look on his face.  
  
"You lose!' Chris said venomously and pulled the sword free with a twist letting the dying man slump to the floor. He glanced over his shoulder to see how Buck was faring and then shouted:  
  
"Buck! Stop playing with him and get it over with!" He then turned back to the fresh wave of men coming through the doorway and planted himself in their path.  
  
Buck disarmed his opponent in a dazzling move and then dispatched the man quickly. Wiping off the sweat that was intermingling with the blood on his face, he gave a loud roar and then charged the eight men who had tackled Chris and were currently trying to pin him down.  
  
JD currently battling for his life saw and heard none of this. JD's lack of experience was slowly but surely killing him as could be seen from the long slice on his arm that was bleeding freely down through his pants and puddled on the floor. However his enthusiasm gave him an edge over his opponent who fought for money. But unfortunately this wasn't proving to be enough as he was driven back until he was pined between a wall and his opponent. Luckily Buck having surprised the men attacking Chris and having killed three of them and made sure Chris's back was covered as he got up saw this. With a shout he dived in front of the sword aimed at JD's chest and took it in the leg instead, as he was falling he managed to skewer JD's opponent in the chest.  
  
"Buck!" JD screamed in fear  
  
Chris hearing this cursed vehemently and with renewed vigor attacked the slaver he was battling, while at the same time trying to work his way closer to the door so he could put the bar across it. With one man down, and the majority of the fighting left to himself and an inexperienced kitchen boy Chris was rethinking his earlier vow. The odds were not looking good and Chris knew when it was time to retreat and that time was now.  
  
Meanwhile Buck was struggling to get up, using the wall and JD to balance himself. JD was stupefied, why had Buck jumped in front of that sword? So JD being JD came right out and asked him and the answer he got left him shaken.  
  
"Because you're a kid, but you're my kid, and nobody messes with my kid!" Buck said hoarsely eyeing Chris's battle over JD's shoulder. Seeing Chris's nod at the only window in the room Buck got the hint and limped towards it.  
  
"Excuse me kid, but it's time Ol' Buck made some renovations around here! I feel the need for a breeze." With that said he took a leg from a broken chair and smashed out the window. Glancing back at JD with a grin on his face he was startled to see that two of the slavers had broken away from their fight with Chris and were heading towards JD who had his back turned to them.  
  
"JD, come here boy!" He said tensely. The slavers seeing this began to run at the two men standing by the window. Buck moved protectively in front of JD and held up his bloodied sword.  
  
Looking back over his shoulder at JD who was standing by the broken out window he curtly told him "Jump, boy, jump." "Nigh, Buck and leave ye two behind. I think not." JD stammered nervously  
  
Buck engaged the two men at the same time and once again issued his command of jump.  
  
"I owe you a blood debt now, my honor wouldn't allow it. JD said more confidently now  
  
"JUMP!" Buck screamed his face red with exertion has he battled the two men at once. The blood loss was getting to him and he was beginning to tire. JD hesitated for a moment looking back at the two men still fighting and with a scream of frustration Buck elbowed the boy out the window where he fell and hit the straw he had strategically moved their earlier.  
  
"Chris, your next!" Buck shouted to the man still struggling to bar the door against the ten men still outside.  
  
"Go ahead Buck!" Seeing Buck's look he added "Don't worry, I'm right behind you!"  
  
Buck finished off the last man and pounding a bloody fist against his heart which Chris returned he jumped out the window and landed in the straw with a grimace of pain for his bad leg. There he meet JD who was waiting silently with their two horses and their gear which he had smuggled to the stables earlier. They made short work of loading the two war horses who were disgruntled at having to ride again so soon. JD was angry at Buck for pushing him but he knew now was not the time or the place to get in a fight. After loading the knight's gear he went into the shadows and returned with a short straggly horse that almost resembled a pony in stature.  
  
Seeing Buck's grin he protested "Hey, I got her for a good deal, I outbid the glue maker." Buck just chuckled and rubbed the kid's head affectionately. Then as one they looked to the window where Chris still battled.  
  
Meanwhile back up in the room Chris was battling for his life, he was dodging blades left and right as he struggled to close the door. Finally after what seemed to take hours but in reality was only five minutes or so he shut the door with a bang and slapped the cross beam across it. Hearing the banging and pounding coming from the other side he wisely moved both beds in front of the door as a blockade. Satisfied that it would at least hold them for a little while he crossed to the room to the window and jumped out landing neatly in the straw with a roll. He then joined his mounted companions and together they spurred their horses down the dark streets of Eagle Bend whose residents peered out of their windows at the commotion.  
  
As they started across the meadow outside of the town JD innocently asked: "So where are we going anyways?"  
  
"On the adventure of your life kid, the adventure of your life. If you don't get your fool self killed that is." Buck replied with a grin  
  
The last sound the town of Eagle Bend heard was JD's loudly protested "Buck!!!" 


	6. Honor's Past

Ok, Folks sorry about the delay, I kind of went and got myself a job which has the annoying habit of sucking up far too much of my time!!! Anyways this one is for Carole who wanted a wild, shoots people in the back kind of Vin and for Elizabeth who was kind enough to show her support for me!:) Don't worry the green eyed hunk is on his way. You girls are awesome!!! Mentioning reviews (hint, hint!!!) I wouldn't mind a few more but I haven't resorted to begging yet?  
  
The blond haired man eyed the three strangers as they rode into the middle of town. They were covered in mud from head to toe and clearly exhausted as could be seen by the way the youngest one slumped in the saddle on his horse or was that a pony? It didn't really matter, what mattered was the fact that these men were not men to be trifled with. Although it was clear they had traveled hard from their appearance there was a certain edge of hardness to them even when they were coated in mud. The one dressed in the now muddy black outfit was obviously the leader of the group; this was obvious from the moment he headed into town first eyeing out any potential threats to his men.  
  
The mustached man although tired had a tinkle in his eye and he looked appreciatively at the bordello as he rode by. The youngest puzzled him for a minute for he there was a certain air about him and it took him a while to figure it out. He was neither a seasoned warrior like the other two obviously were but he was not untested. Then he hit upon it, the boy reminded him of a hunting dog that had made its first kill and brought it back to its master looking for attention, not untested but too eager and too fresh to have been trained. Altogether they outwardly resembled the mercenary group he supposed they were pretending to be, but the blond haired man had sharp eyes and was not as easily fooled. He spotted the gleam of silver underneath their clothing and saw their fine horses, well with the exception of the pony/horse of course. No mercenary group that small would be able to afford animals of that quality nor would they have silver swords because they would be a liability on the battle field. People would converge and work together to kill them just for the silver, even his own friends might join in.  
  
Nope, these men reeked of trouble. Runners, the blond haired man decided glaring at them, running from something or someone. He glanced around the town he was currently living in and wondered if perhaps it wasn't time to move on.  
  
"Real friendly place here, Pard." Buck remarked quietly nodding to the blond haired man sweeping the porch with vigor and staring at them.  
  
Chris pulled his thoughts away from the dangers of the alleyway long enough to look at the potential trouble Buck has seen. He glanced over at the blond haired man and his cold, green eyes meant bright, frosty blue ones. And then he was spinning, violently out of control, he couldn't breathe, his palms got clammy and then got hot again. It was like he was drowning under water, he could hear Buck talking to him but he couldn't make out the words he was speaking. But it was strange at the same time, he felt whole again. Like a missing piece of him had been returned, the warm fuzzy kind of feeling you get when you see a family member you haven't seen in years or sit down to a home baked apple pie. It was like looking at a long lost brother, and then the crackle was gone, disturbed by shouts down the street which had both men whipping around to stare at this new found threat. But Chris had felt something and from the way the man stared back he knew he had felt it too. It wasn't a loving kind of feeling, but a feeling of acceptance, of friendship, a feeling Chris hadn't felt since, well before that dark, and horrible night when his world was ripped from underneath his feet.  
  
The shouts that had been heard earlier were getting closer and Chris realized that Buck was telling him to get off the street and join JD and himself who had moved their horses to a nearby alleyway. Finally getting what Buck was saying through his head Chris nodded and moved his horse to join the other two's. And not a moment too soon as an unruly mob swept by seconds later.  
  
It was unclear as to what the problem was at first, all Chris could see was a swirling vortex of colors merging in and out forming the indistinct shapes of men. Then there was a break in the crowd for a span of a few seconds and Chris could horrifyingly see what the commotion was about. For there in the middle of the crowd being dragged along was a man, his hands were bound behind his back and he stumbled more then he walked. His face bore the remnants of a quick beating but he still had his spirit and he fought back his captors with a fierce determination. But it was his color that surprised Chris most of all. In his life time he had seen white men, tan men, heck he had even seen red men. But in his whole life he had never seen a man as dark as this one, a deep brown that resembled fresh dirt dug up after a harvest. But these men were not supposed to exist, they were monsters made up to scare children into going to bed, they were the proverbial bogeymen of the time. But then again JD's pirates weren't supposed to exist either, when would wonders cease to stop? Shaking his head he turned around ready to enter the only bar in town when he heard a shout from across the street and turned to see the storekeeper's face purpling with rage as he shouted after the longhaired man who was making his way down the street with long purposeful strides.  
  
"You leave with that bow and you are out of a job, hell I'll see you never work in this town again!" He screamed  
  
"Hell, I wasn't planning on dying with a broom in me hands, figure this is a sure fire way to die with some dignity." The longhaired man shouted back  
  
Buck let out a loud laugh at this and clapped Chris on the shoulder "Heck, at least the fool will die with some character, come on Chris lets get a drink and toast his death."  
  
Chris gave a sigh; Buck was right the man was a fool. But something about this sat so wrong with him; back in the days when he and Buck were knights this would have never happened. But then he was no longer a knight and times changed, Heck these outer regions were lucky if they saw a patrol once in two years. Of course that was part of the reason why they were here, but that was beside the point, the man was walking willing to his death in the name of righteousness. It pulled at something inside him, something he used to feel back when honor had a name and the code was still followed, when innocents were not slaughtered in the name of power. His jaw tensed at this thought and he shook his head to clear away bad memories. Times changed and Buck was right the man was a fool. Before he realized what he was doing he was jogging down the street after the specks in the distance drawing out his sword as he went.  
  
Vin Tanner heard the jogging footsteps coming up fast behind him and he stilled for a moment to glance over his shoulder and evaluate this new threat. But it was only the stranger from before in the street and Vin wondered if too had felt the shock that had run through him. He must have because he couldn't see any other reason a man obviously on the run from something would put himself in the face of danger. Slowing he stuck out his hand to the sweaty man and trusted him with his life.  
  
"Vin Tanner" he said  
  
"Chris, Chris Larabee." He replied slowly and then surprised Vin by grabbing his forearm, the universal greeting between men of honor and most commonly used between knights. There was more to this man then he had first thought.  
  
Up to this day Thoklin Torrow had led a normal troublemakers life, he had caused mischief and mayhem since the day he was born and had until two hours ago been second in command to in his opinion one of the most honorable men alive..Big toe Billie Barnum. You see Thundering Thok as he liked to be called by all those who knew and a few who wished they didn't; had known Billie since before he earned the name Big Toe and had been the best of friends with him. That is as close as two murdering, scoundrel thieves could be. But Billie had died two hours ago from ironically gangrene in his big toe. But Thok didn't know this, heck he probably couldn't even pronounce the word, all he knew was that his friend had died from this witch doctors voodoo medicine and that as his first command as leader of his merry little band he wanted this doctors head. But see Thok neglected to reflect on one thing. There's a reason why second in commands are second in commands, they lack the brains and the smarts to think out a plan logically and effectively carry it out. If Big Toe Billie was trying to kill the witch doctor he would have made it a quick and quiet job, a forced entry in the night, a quick smothering with a pillow, and voila the good doctor dead in his sleep and nobody the wiser. But Thok wasn't Billie and his booze enhanced mind just didn't process the same thoughts. He made the killing a public affair..it was a mistake that would cost him.  
  
By the time Vin and Chris had caught up to the mob they had already reached the outskirts of town where what could be called a cemetery was, that is if you count a bunch of bumps in the grass a cemetery. They had forced the doctor on his knees and currently were debating quite loudly as to how many axe strokes it would take to dislodge his head from his shoulders. By unspoken agreement when they hit the mob Chris took the left while Vin veered right both gripping weapons. Chris waited until the mob recognized their appearance and then spoke up.  
  
"I reckon you might just want to let the man go, that is if you were a smart fellow." Chris said softly but words were loud enough that the men on the edge of the crowd could still hear.  
  
At this statement Thok burst out into laughter, which his men followed although they were a tad bit more nervous, they knew a fighting man when they saw one.  
  
Thok was laughing so hard he was wheezing and he had to strain to get the words out "You and what army?"  
  
At this statement a blur rushed by him and landed less then a centimeter away from his foot, the blur revealed itself to be a dagger and the man who had thrown it revealed himself to be Vin.  
  
"That was your first warning; don't make me give you another one. And I reckon it don't take an army to take down a drunken fool, just a few men with a sense of right and wrong and a feeling a good man don't deserve to die for no good reason." Vin said softly.  
  
"And I reckon some goodhearted men can also die today!!!!" "Kill 'em'!!! Thok shouted his face purpling his rage. It was the last words he spoke because the next minute he was laying dead on the ground a dagger protruding from his chest.  
  
"I did give you a warning." Vin said shaking his head before launching himself into the fight. 


	7. Clasped hands

Yes, I realize this is short, but more is coming soon.I promise, honest, gamblers promise!:)  
The fight was short and over in about three seconds, by the time Buck and JD rode up Chris and Vin had already made short work of the mob and the few survivors were running or crawling away. JD made to ride after one nearby before Buck grabbed the back of his jerkin and threw him in the mud.  
  
"Boy, have I got a lot to teach you! First you don't go running it a fight waving your sword around and attracting attention to yourself! That's a liable way to get skewered in the gut. And second you don't hit an enemy that's down and running, it's mighty dishonorable and all." With this said he popped JD over the back of his head with his hand and began the gruesome task of searching through the dead bodies for anything valuable.  
  
"I reckon that was some mighty fine fighting on your part." Chris said to Vin appreciatively.  
  
"Picked up a few things from here and there, nothing special. I reckon though that I could use some ale to get rid of the taste of battle."  
  
"Yeah, I could do with some of that." Chris said, a ghost of a smile tracing his grim face  
  
"Sir, I beg your pardon! Sir! Wait up!" Chris turned at the voice and was surprised to see the tall dark man jog up to him and stick his hand out.  
  
"My name's Nathan Jackson and I just wanted to thank you for what you did back there. Not many men as you could see would stand up to a mob that way." Nathan said absently rubbing his neck.  
  
Chris looked at him critically for a moment, then stuck his hand out and shook Nathan's.  
  
"You up for a drink?"  
  
"Hell, yes!" Nathan chortled "After that, any hard liquor will do."  
  
"The names Larabee, Chris Larabee. And I might just have a proposition for you."  
  
With that said the three headed into the nearest bar for a much needed drink.  
  
Ok, only Josiah left and then I can introduce Ezra, yes the time is coming soon! Wow, I might actually get to the real plot behind this story, besides all the buildup that is. (G) 


	8. Friends of the Heart

Alright all, I realized that with school and all, I have been behind in writing this story so to all of you out there who need a little break from your daily lives and want to once again escape into my realm please feel free to. I have decided to name my series the Outer Realms.I do not know if this name is taken or not.I just thought it sounded nifty..if you know of someone who has taken this name please let me know so I can think of another nifty name..  
  
The local bar was in reality nothing more then a hole in the wall, but it had liquor and as many know most hole in the wall places are actually really good finds.. Shining gems in the midst of whatever the local popularity had decided to adopt as its norm. Unfortunately this was not one of those rare finds, indeed it was one of those places you hear horror stories about, bugs in your food, grease as thick as your forearm, and other tales such as those. But as mentioned before the place contained mead and unlike the only other bar in town it's occupants were not currently being thrown out the windows of the place in an all out bar brawl. The five men stormed through its doors and headed straight towards the rickety four by four that was serving as the bar's counter.  
  
"Five meads, straight up." Chris ordered, the barkeep looked at Nathan for a minute and looked as through he was going to say something but then seeing the look on Chris's face he thought better and quickly broke out the requested drinks.  
  
The five men sat in silence once they had received their drinks, each nursing the alcohol and thinking of the day's events.  
  
Nathan sat quietly nursing his drink, a grim look on his face. Every once in a while one of his hands would stray up to absently rub his neck. If these men hadn't come along.no it was best not to think of such things. He was alive and thanks to a courage and passion he had not seen in many years. One thing for sure he had found what he was looking for, acceptance and if the men would have him he would surely join whatever plan their leader Chris Larabee had in his brain. His time of wandering from village to town was over although he hadn't officially been accepted yet into this strange little group he felt a peace and assurance that he would.  
  
Vin Tanner sat absently stirring his drink with one finger and glancing around the table the other men. They weren't too hard to figure out, well with the exception of a few. Hell, he could even get to like a few of them, and Chris, well he didn't know how he felt around him. He just felt like he had lost a brother and gained him back. It was strange he felt safe, something he hadn't felt in a long time, and he felt that if the devil came calling for him these men would be there to back him up. But Damn it what was he thinking? He was a wanted man! He was a wanted man, on the run, but then he met Chris' eyes and it really didn't matter.he had somebody watching his back now.  
  
J.D. Dunne sat absently tapping his fingers on the table staring at his mead and desperately wishing it was a huge, fresh glass of milk. Giving up on trying to magically wish the mead into milk he gave up and courageously took a small sip tentatively. Choking he gasped down the small amount and then pushed the mead away from him hoping all the time that Buck hadn't seen his moment of weakness. It was incredible was it only a few days ago he had been cleaning stables, waiting tables, and generally just being abused by Mulster? Buck had said he was going on the adventure of a lifetime and J.D. could feel it, deep down in his bones something was screaming that this was what he had been waiting for all his life, this was his destiny. But at the moment his destiny was pretty boring and he looked around the table wondering when the first person would speak.then his attention was distracted by the hat Vin wore, wow.I could really use a hat.his thoughts drifted off to that and other J.D thoughts such as how exactly did one attain a horse in a town like this.  
  
Buck watched with amusement as the lad stared at his cup of mead and wondered when he would gather the courage to take a sip. Then he hid his smile when the boy finally did and turned bright red trying not to choke too loudly. He was far too young to be on something like this, it was full of danger and many times through the past few days Buck had contemplated finding a good family for the boy and leaving him. But he had broken a rule and gotten attached. Besides the boy was like family now, the younger brother he had never had. Not to mention he kind of reminded Buck of himself at that age so unsure and at the same time so damn cocky, if he didn't watch him the damn kid was likely to get himself killed or some other nonsense such as that. Buck's musing about the boy was distracted for a moment when Chris nodded slightly at him. Buck nodded slightly back, yes he trusted these men, yes their mission should be shared.  
  
Chris or Sir Christo of Larabee for that was who he truly was eyed the four other men sitting at the table and tried to size them up. Should he share his mission with them or should he thank them for their help and move on his way? It was strange he had never met these men before in his life with the exception of Buck and yet he felt as though this was how it was supposed to be. His gut told him this and his gut was how he had lived for so many years through constant battles and political games. If he had never listened to his gut he would have been dead a long time ago.the one time he hadn't listened he had lost everything, his gut tinged at this thought and he took a gulp of mead to make the memories a little less fuzzy. Then he pushed the mead away, no he had gone that way once, fought the devil and won, he wasn't about to revert back to his old ways now. He went back to his examination of the men around the table trying to size them up. He met Buck's eye and nodded slightly.Should he?? Getting a nod back Chris cleared his throat and began.  
  
Ok, folks that is it for now.my goal is to have at least two reviews by the end of Friday/Saturday and it is the weekend so who knows anything could happen.. :) Again this is betaed by me, myself, and I so please ignore those nasty mistakes you see in grammar.yes I know they are there.but they add character, doncha think??? 


	9. A Quest Revealed

He met Buck's eye and nodded slightly.Should he?? Getting a nod back Chris cleared his throat and began.  
  
"As many of you know, a year ago the Prince of Cohely was killed in a hunting accident, although it was always portrayed as an accident the royal family has always believed it to have been an act of treachery from within. Scared of what might happen King Orin sent his wife, daughter in law and the future heir to the throne into hiding. He stayed at the palace with his most loyal guards surrounding him to keep the kingdom in order. He told the public that his family was in mourning at their private estate along the Washusi River. This was of course a lie; his wife has since journeyed back feeling her husband needed her more then ever. Our quest deals not with her but with the Prince's son and future heir to the throne. Six months ago he and his mother disappeared from their safe house with not a word to anyone. We suspect something or someone spooked them into running, for five months Buck and I have been on their trail. Following rumors from town to village to the woods and back to big cities. Most of these have been false rumors, people looking for attention or extra money but a few have had a ring of truth to them. How many of you have heard of the outer realms?" Chris finished his talk and asked the question into the forbidding air around the table.  
  
It was Nathan who spoke up first: "That's a no mans land, no sane woman would bring her son there." He said in disbelief  
  
"Aye, a lawless land full of thieves and vagabonds, not a place where a man or a woman would tread lightly" Buck said solemnly  
  
"But a good place if you are looking to hide..." Vin said quietly  
  
"Exactly" Chris finished quietly and then continued a little louder  
  
"And that is exactly where you men come in, word is a Cutthroat Murderer by the name of James Lucas is holding court over the Outer Realms in a town by the name of Four Corners. The boy and his mother are rumored to be hiding out somewhere in his territory. Now most likely Lucas doesn't realize who he has in his territory, if he did no doubt he would be plugging the King for a ransom or worse. But the fact is he might have them and be using them for different purposes. Either way they need to be found and retrieved and every fool knows it is better to have a large show of force then a small one. I figure we ride in there and offer our services to Lucas as mercenaries or such. We find the Heir and his mother and bring them home. But just me and Buck riding in there and trying to get him out is likely to get us all killed and that is where we need you. I can't offer you much, five silver quid and a chance to right a wrong, put a little scared boy back where he belongs, that's it..the decision is up to you." With that Chris took a sip of his beer and looked over at Buck who gave him a thumbs up, they had them whether they knew it or not.  
  
JD was the first to speak up "Well, I don't know about anyone else but I'm in. I realize that everybody here thinks I'm too young, but I can learn and I'm good at slipping in and out of rooms unnoticed. I've been doing it my whole life, besides something is telling me I should be here, it just feels right." JD trailed off here and then noticing the solemn air he grinned and said "Besides somebody's got to keep old Buck here from getting killed and such. I got a blood debt to repay."  
  
At this comment JD was swiftly caught up in a headlock by Buck and tickled until he gasped uncle. When the hubbub had died down Nathan spoke up:  
  
"Well, I'm in.if it weren't for you guys I would have been dead now for a couple of hours. Besides I wouldn't mind seeing some of those Outer Realms Warlords go down." He said with a fierce scowl on his face. Nobody said anything but it was obvious Nathan had run in with them at one time or another.  
  
Vin was a little slower to reply but when he did it was short and to the point. "I reckon I wouldn't mind riding with the likes of you."  
  
After this comment Buck turned to Chris and held out a hand, five fingers, five men.  
  
"It would have been nice to have at least one more, six is a nice even round number, but five will work." Chris said with a sigh scratching his head tiredly.  
  
"I might know someone." Nathan said with a thoughtful look on his face 


End file.
